I ran my first marathon in the fall of 2005 in Kansas City.

As it was my first one, my primary goal was just to finish. I was not going to be someone who looked for a place to quit and give in at mile 17. My secondary goal, though, was to finish in less than 5 hrs. When I finished at under that successfully, I was happy I had achieved both goals.

The training I did included many long runs on weekends in my hilly neighborhood in Parkville, Missouri. It seemed the best place to train with long sloping hills in places with some steep inclines mixed in. It is best to study the map of the marathon route if you have access to it. For instance, training on a flat surface when you have several hills in the route is not practical. My marathon had 4 major hills. While running I was very glad I had studied the map. It helped me know what was around the next corner. I enjoyed my long runs on weekends. I started at 3 miles going to 5 then to 7 or 8 and finally to 10 miles. I won’t lie – there were blisters and knee pains and leg pains – but I had run 10 miles. It was a satisfying accomplishment. It was something for just me.

That is another key point – run for you. Let it be your escape for awhile. Let it become a meditative experience where you can withdraw into yourself, find your core of strength and just make yourself better.

Start by evaluating where you are at with your running.

How long do you currently run?

Do you run every day?

How long do you have until your event?

Can you complete your training in time?

If you are someone who has been a casual runner, 9 months should give you enough time to get ready. I won’t outline the training you should follow, but start by running every other day with a long run on the weekends. This could be 3 miles Monday, 3 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday or Friday and then a long run of 5-6 miles on Saturday. Gradually increase the distance of your runs every 2-3 weeks. Eventually you will be running every day in a 5,3,5,3,4,10 pattern. At this point, increase the distance of your long runs so that you are running 12 then 15 then 18 then 21 miles on Saturdays. Also – ALWAYS rest on Sunday, unless you want to go out for a lighter run of only 1 to 2 miles or so. Let Sunday be your rest day. Hydrate the week of the race. Drink 13 cups of water a day the week prior. Make sure that your last long run of 21 miles comes a month before the race. That will give you a chance to heal up. Taper down your long runs leading to race day from 21 back down to 18, 15, etc. The best thing to remember the day of the race – KEEP YOUR PACE! Don’t expend too much energy too quickly. You will regret it. Remember that you will be running for several hours so save some till the end and draw on your reserves as you need them. I am no expert, but this is how I did it.

Good luck!